Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's premature liftoff and the resultant stall during takeoff. A factor was the density altitude.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight had departed the airstrip earlier that day with the same load. On this flight the temperature was up to 93 degrees fahrenheit with a calculated density altitude of 6,500 feet. The pilot reported the wind was gusty and almost a direct crosswind. On takeoff, the airplane climbed approximately 6 feet above the ground, then settled back onto the runway. The pilot then aborted the takeoff by shutting the engine down. The airplane hit a fence and came to rest inverted in a field adjacent to the runway.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 22, 1994, at 1400 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301, N4360S, was substantially damaged during takeoff near Lazbuddie, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local aerial application flight. The flight had departed the airstrip earlier that day with the same load. On this flight the temperature was up to 93 degrees Fahrenheit with a calculated density altitude of 6,500 feet. According to the pilot, the wind was gusty, almost a direct crosswind, as the aircraft lifted off, climbed approximately 6 feet above the ground and then settled back onto the runway. The pilot "shut the engine down" and the airplane rolled into a fence at the departure end of the runway and came to rest inverted in a field adjacent to the runway. The FAA Inspector reported damage to the engine, engine mount, firewall, and wings. According to the pilot's enclosed report, there were no mechanical malfunctions. -